Axle.



No. 803,012. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. R. MULHOLLAND.

AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED D1708, 1904.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed December 8, 1904. Serial No. 235,937.

To all whon t it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD MULHOLLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved means for positively locking theaxle-nut of a vehicle-axle upon the axle.

It consists in providing the outer end or that portion of the axle uponwhich the nut screws with a recess which is in part tapered andsmooth-surfaced and in part uniformly screwthreaded, slitting at leastin part the walls of the axle surrounding said recess, and screwing abolt having a screw-threaded part and a tapered smooth-surfaced partinto said recess to force the smooth-surfaced tapered part against thesmooth surfaced tapered and slitted part of the wall of the recess toexpand the axle end against the nut, and thus lock it in place.

The principal object of the invention is to construct a locking devicefor locking an axlenut upon an axle which can be applied to any ordinaryform of axles with but slight alteration and in which appreciable wearis practically prevented, stripping of screw-threads entirely obviated.and the axle-nut is fastened in place by the expansion of a slittedportion through a tapering smooth-surfaced portion of a screw-bolt,which in turn prevents the screw-threaded portion of said bolt fromvoluntarily unscrewing by the longitudinal tension of the taperingportion, which tends to draw the inclined walls of the interfittingscrew-threads against each other and frictionally lock them together.

The invention also relates to certain details of construction. all ofwhich will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which a preferredadaptation of the invention is shown.

Figure l is a plan View of a reservoir-axle equipped with my improvedlocking device for the axle-nut with a central longitudinal sectionthrough the axle-box. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section throughthe axle, axle-box, axle-nut, and tapered bolt on line a a, Fig. 1. Fig.3 is an end view of the axle and its component parts, shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line b b, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an endview of the axle and axleboX with axle-nut and tapered bolt removed.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detached views of the axle-nut. Fig. 9 is a planview of a grooved axle equipped with the locking device with the axlebox or casing removed and a central longitudinal section through theaxle-nut. Fig. 10 is a central longitudinal section on line 0 c, Fig. 9.Fig. 11 is an end view of the grooved axle and its component parts. Fig.12 is a transverse section on line 03 d, Fig. 10. Figs. 13, 14, and 15are detached views of the tapered locking-nut having a slitted head.Fig. 16 is a detached end view of another form of tapered bolt having asquare head. Fig. 17 is a detached view of the tapered boltwasher.

In referring to the drawings for the details of construction likenumerals designate like parts.

This invention consists of an axle having a recessed and slitted endwhich is in part tapered and smooth-surfaced and in part of uniformdiameter and screw-threaded, an axlenut on said end and a bolt having ascrewthreaded part of even thickness screwing into the screw-threadedpart of the recess, and a tapered smooth-surfaced part engaging andsliding against the smooth-surfaced tapered wall of the recess forexpanding the axle end to lock the axle-nut in place thereon. In Figs. 1to 5, inclusive, is shown a reservoiraxle to which this locking deviceis applied. In these figures, 1 represents the axle, which has a deeplongitudinal recess 2 in its outer end, which constitutes an oilreservoir or chamber; 3, the axle box or casing; 4:, the axle-nut, and 5the tapered locking-bolt. An oil inlet or inlets 6 is provided in theaxle, which extend into communication with the interior reservoir 2. Anenlarged opening or recess is cut in the axle, which extends to thereservoir and in which a lubricating-pad 7, of felt or other suitablematerial, is placed. (See Fig. 2.) The wall of the recess 2 is taperedand smooth-surfaced for a short distance inwardly from its extreme outerend, as shown at 8 in Fig. 2, and is of even diameter and screw-threadedfrom the termination of the tapered portion sufficien tly to receive thescrewthreaded end of the tapered lock-bolt 5. The lock-bolt 5 consistsof a screw-threaded portionof even thickness, a plain or smooth surfacedtapered portion which presses and slides against the tapered wall 8, anda slitted head. It may, however, be provided with a square head, asshown in Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 16, or with a head of any other formcapable of IIO engaging with a turning implement in lieu of the slittedhead. The wall of the recess 2, surrounding the smooth-surfaced taperedportion thereof, is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slits 9 topermit expansion when the lock-bolt is screwed into place. The usualwashers 10 and 11 are arranged between. the axle and one end of theaxle-box and the axlenut and the opposite end of the axle-box. The

and recess walls against each other and into tight frictionalengagement. The advantage of this is that when the axle-nut is fastenedfirmly in place the locking-bolt is also firmly held in place andrequires considerable pressure to start it unscrewing. The locking-boltwhen in locking position is locked against longitudinal movement by itsscrew-threaded portion and against rotation by the frictional tensionexerted by its tapered portion. Provision is preferably made to preventthe lockbolt- 5 entirely unscrewing and dropping should it in any waybecome loosened, which consists of a washer 12, formed substantially asshown in Fig. 17, which is fitted over the bolt-head and against theshoulder 13 at the outer termination of the tapered portion of the boltand by engaging with the inwardlyextending shoulder 1 L of the axle-nutholds the bolt from removal through the opening in the axle-nut.

In the form shown in Figs. 9 to 16, inclusive, the axle is provided witha peripheral longitudinal groove 15, in which a lubricatingstrip may beplaced, and a longitudinal recess in its outer end which has a taperedouter portion 16 and a screw-threaded inner portion 17. The lock-bolt 5is of similar form to that described with reference to thereservoiraxle, with the sole exception that the head is square, as shownin Fig. 16, instead of being slitted, and is therefore designated by thesame numeral.

The great advantage of this improved construction is chiefly due to thefact that ordinary axles can be equipped by simply forming a tapered andslitted recess in the end of the axle and fitting a tapered lock-bolttherein. Other advantages reside in the simplicity and the arrangementof the look at the best possible point which is directly within theaxlenut, the tapered portion of the screw expanding the axle enddirectly against the axle-nut,

'when it is in place.

and thus locking it rigidly in place, and the holding of the lock-boltagainst its entire detachment by the shoulder of the axle-nut Stillanother great advantage resides in the perfect adjustability of theaxle-nut to take up wear or lost motion from time to time. In thisimproved construction that portion of the wall of the recess in the axlewhich is tapered is also smoothsurfaced, and the tapered part of thelocknut is likewise smooth-surfaced and is adapted to slide upon thetapered surface of the recesswall.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a device of the class described, an axlehaving a recess in its outer end, the surrounding wall of which istapered smooth-surfaced and slitted in its outer portion and of evendiameter and screw-threaded in its inner portion, an axle-nut screwingon said end and a locking-bolt having a screw-threaded inner partengaging in the screw-threaded portion of the recess, an outer head anda tapered smooth surfaced part located between the screw-threaded innerpart and the head and engaging the tapered portion of the recess,whereby the locking-bolt is held against longitudinal movement when inlocking position by the engagement of its screw-threaded portion, andagainst unscrewing by the frictional interlocking of the interfittingscrew-threads through the longitudinal tension on. the tapered portion,substantially as set forth.

2. In a device of the class described, an axle having a recess in itsouter end the surrounding wall of which is tapered smooth-surfaced andslitted in its outer portion and of even diameter and screw-threaded inits inner portion, an axle-nut on said axle and a lockingbolt forexpanding said axle end directly within and against the encirclingaxle-nut to positively lock said axle-nut upon said axle and includingan outer smooth-surfaced tapered part arranged to slide within thecorrespondingly smoothsurfaced tapered wall portion of the axle-recessand an inner screw threaded part arranged to engage in thescrew-threaded inner portion of the wall of said recess, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, an axle having a recessed end thecircular wall of which is screwedthreaded in its inner portion andtapered smooth-surfaced and slitted in its outer portion, an axle-nut onsaid end and a lock-bolt engaging in said recess having a screw-threadedinner end and a smooth surfaced and tapered outer portion.

4. An axle having its outer end slitted and at least in part externallyscrewthreaded and a longitudinal recess in said end, the wall of whichis in its outer portion interiorly tapered and smooth-surfaced and inits inner portion interiorly screw-threaded and of even diameter, anaxle-nut screwing on the ting in the recess having a smooth-surfacedtapered outer part engaging the tapered wall of the recess and ascrew-threaded mner portion of uniform lead and even diameter screwinginto the screw-threaded ortion of the recess, substantially as setfortli.

5. In a device of the class described, a vehicle-axle having its endrecessed with the circular wall of the recess tapered and smoothsurfacedfrom the outer termination of the axle to near the middle of the recessand screw-threaded from the termination of the tapered portion to theinner termination of the recess and the wall of the recess also being atleast in part slitted to permit expansion, an axle-nut fitting upon theaxle end RICHARD MU LHOLLAND.

Witnesses O. B. MULHOLLAND, R. I. MULHOLLAND.

